Hi everybody,A friend of mine is interested in purchasing a version of the classical "ring flight" trick. Among those who own and use this effect,have you a particular version to recommend ?Thanks in advance for your help.Best wishes.Thomas

There are literally dozens of makers -- it is important to know just what kind of routine is wanted.

Close up (micro)Cabaret ???

One of the things that ALMOST ALL require is a better clip. You need one large enough and easy enough to open without fumbling.

You can check out the Mike Close handling of Gaetan Bloom's version. It does not use a reel.

Fred Kaps had a version without any reel or gimmick... he just had the keycase in back pocket, vanished the ring off a string in a ring box and put the ring on the clip as he grabbed the keycase out of his pocket.

Richard Osterlind has also published a handling that did not require the reel. (Its in an out of print book of his). I've recently been on the lookout for the fob/keycase item he used for the routine. I guess his dvds but me in the mood :D

I've only ever used one ring flight, so I won't pretend to be a fountain of knowledge on the subject, but this is my two yen:

I use Immakulate Ring Flight by (??????). I've been using the same gimmick for about eight years, and use it often (it's in my back pocket now). Haven't had to replace it yet, so I guess it's pretty durable. Included when I bought it was a second clasp that is supposed to prevent the problem some magicians have with the ring flying off the reel. I've never used that clasp as the one that was already attached to the reel has served me well. No lost rings yet.

I have looked at other ring flights and the difference usually seems to lie in the strength/smoothness of the reel. Again, I'm certainly no expert on the subject, but I don't have any problem recommending Immakulate Ring Flight. I think I got mine from Perfect Magic; they may still carry them.

To Pete: Thanks a lot for your comments, I was thinking: "what do you recommend among the versions that use a reel". To be used mostly in close up situtions (formal and informal).To Bill, Matthew, Fraser and Jonathan: Thanks a lot for your advies. BTW, did one of you had to change the clip as described by Pete ?Best.Thomas

Originally posted by Pete Biro: Just like Hofzinser card problems, here is a problem I would like to solve.

Left hand made into FIST, ring in right hand is DROPPED from a few inches above into opening of fist by thumb.

Left hand opened, ring is gone and on the Ring Flite.

Pete,

How about making a mystical pass around the hand holding the ring and transfer the ring back into the right hand as in Charlie Miller's / Michael Skinner's 'Ring on Wand'? The 'ring' can be scrunched into nothingness with the left fist as the right hand gets on with the real work.

It should be on his catalogue soemwhere - I had one about fifteen years ago but sold it...

Of all the ways to steal the ring, just pulling the sleeve up as you ask the spectator to blow on the hand seems to fit your challenge best; there are no other props in play. Nice and clean. (Thinking off my head, this could be impromptu - load the ring onto a finger of your right hand and see how long it takes them to notice. I think there is a similar thing in When Creators Collide by Sankey and Saunders).

Steve Dusheck's various key-ring effecte and Eric Mason's Magnifique I have found as strong as Ring Flight (Flite? ugh!) but without question the best ring work I have ever seen was this very year when David Ben performed to me "one on one" some of the routines in the Ross Bertram Genii.

Closeup version: Sew a metal ring into an tiny pocket in a handkerchief. Open the keycase and hang a key on each keyclip except for one in the center. Open the center key clip, rotate it out, and close/latch the case with the clip hanging out, sealing the rest of the clips/keys into the closed case. Place in jacket right breast pocket with the open clip hanging out of the pocket.

Borrow ring from Spec 1 in right hand. Hold hank in left hand. Place the borrowed ring under the hank and into the left palm, simultaneously pushing the sewn ring to the center of the hank. Hold the substituted ring from the outside of the hank with the right hand, and give it to Spec 2 to hold. Reach into right breast pocket, threading ring onto single loose key clip. Remove the key case from right breast pocket with left hand covering the ring and clip, and hold the case in clear sight. As the hand exits the pocket, the keyclip end of the case is automatically turned to the bottom of the hand as the hand turns palm up. The magician reaches over and whips the hank from Spec 2, and Spec 2 verifies that the ring is gone. The hank is replaced in the magician's pocket.

Left hand holds up the keycase. Right hand opens the inverted keycase, and the keyclips clatter out in a row. There, in the middle of the keys is the ring on a key clip. After the spectator verifies that it is his/hers, the magician removes it from the clip to return it.

******

Stage version: Procure a small wineglass. Instead of sewing the ring into a cloth pocket, hang the metal ring from a short thread sewn to the middle of the handkerchief.

The magician might write a receipt for the borrowed ring to give to Spec 1. Substitute the threaded ring for the borrowed ring as before. Hand Spec 2 the wineglass, and guide Spec 2 to cover the whole bowl of the glass with the hank. As Spec 2 then drops the sub ring into the glass, the magician reaches into his pocket for the keycase. All eyes and ears are on the noisy clatter of Spec 2 at the moment of the drop, and the load of the ring should be well-covered. Spec 1 is then told, "If I lose your ring, I might need a quick getaway" as the keycase is removed from the pocket. Then the magician snatches the hank away, taking the sub ring with it, and places the hank into a pocket. The wine glass is empty, and Spec 2 verifies that the ring has vanished from the wineglass in his own hand. Spec 1 then sees the keycase opened, and verifies that his ring is hanging from the keycase.

I would think that this second version of Ring Flight would play better than Bill to Lemon on stage, as it is more magical for the distant audience due to the clatter noise of the dropped ring into the wineglass and the very visual/aural drop of the keys from the keycase.

Originally posted by Pete Biro: Just like Hofzinser card problems, here is a problem I would like to solve.

Left hand made into FIST, ring in right hand is DROPPED from a few inches above into opening of fist by thumb.

Left hand opened, ring is gone and on the Ring Flite.

Here's my attempt at a solution;IF you like Gaeton Bloom's basic approach, then the issue is getting the ring onto the clasp while the gimmick rests in place for the vanish. Likewise the dangly bit needs to be opaque, so there is a small engineering problem. A small change to 'tommy wonder' the clasp so the dangly bit retracts, then locks into the Gaeton Bloom gimmick, and all is set. That covers the 'drop' challenge.

What is left is a rather brazen one handed vanish using a TT which has been shown around.

You can then pick up the keycase and shake to get the keys and ring to drop into view.

I really like the ringflight trick, and suggest using something other than a ring. It is somewhat awkward to get a ring off a finger.

Have a clip with a strong tiny magnet at its base (no cord to a reel).

Have a keycase with a similar magnet in an empty "key" space.

Now the clip. I had a prototype clip that Don Alan gave me to give Ken Brooke. I gave it to Ken and he was going to have them made, but his stroke and other complications got worse and, sadly, he died.

No one knew where the clip was.

Here is what Don had done. He removed the metal part that you push inward to attach a ring or key. At that time they were all very stiff. He had a piece of spring steel (cut from an old vanishing cane) silver soldered in place. That way the entry of the ring into the clip was EFFORTLESS.

I think you could have this in hand, drop ring in and one-handed work the ring into the clip.

I use (and recommend) Ron Slanina and Paul Gertner's ring vanish from Paul's European Lecture Notes. You place the spectator's ring into a jeweler's ring box (ungimmicked), close the lid and hand the box to the spectator whose ring you just borrowed. The act of closing the box puts the ring in your hand! It's very clean and you can load the ring just about anywhere you want as you hand the box to the spectator. The work's already done! All you have to do then is sell it! --Asrah

The thinking behind the method: 1. What is the simplest way to get a ring on the key hook? Put it there to start with!2. Can the key case be examinable? Yes, if basically ungimmicked.

Method:A very compact (small) key case is used. The key case has a steel slug sewn in the bottom. This is attracted by a magnet attachment on the end of your new Riser Gravity Holdout. The hook for the ring is hanging out of the case. The case is snapped shut.

As ring is borrowed, the key case is lowered into the palm with its waiting hook. Ring is placed into the hand and onto the hook as the owner is assured that everything will be fine. The ring is held at the finger tips while the case is in the palm. The ring is apparently placed into the other hand. Key case goes up the sleeve. The ring is then shown to have vanished. Both hands clearly shown to be empty. Reach into the side coat pocket to get key case. Key case lowered into hand as this is done. Withdraw holdout magnet. Unsnap the key case in your coat pocket then bring it out allowing keys and ring to fall out. Let spectator remove ring. Everything is able to be examined. With this method there is no chance of the ring flying off into space (or the ocean).

Perhaps this method would have been termed Sledgehammer by Eric Lewis; but it would work.

I have another version of this effect in mind (similar method) that does not require the holdout. (Poor man's version).

As Pete would say, "All manufacturing right are reserved". Copyright 2003 by James P. Riser.

The thinking behind the method: 1. What is the simplest way to get a ring on the key hook? Put it there to start with!2. Can the key case be examinable? Yes, if basically ungimmicked.

Method:A very compact (small) key case is used. The key case has a steel slug sewn in the bottom. This is attracted by a magnet attachment on the end of your new Riser Gravity Holdout. The hook for the ring is hanging out of the case. The case is snapped shut.

As ring is borrowed, the key case is lowered into the palm with its waiting hook. Ring is placed into the hand and onto the hook as the owner is assured that everything will be fine. The ring is held at the finger tips while the case is in the palm. The ring is apparently placed into the other hand. Key case goes up the sleeve. The ring is then shown to have vanished. Both hands clearly shown to be empty. Reach into the side coat pocket to get key case. Key case lowered into hand as this is done. Withdraw holdout magnet. Unsnap the key case in your coat pocket then bring it out allowing keys and ring to fall out. Let spectator remove ring. Everything is able to be examined. With this method there is no chance of the ring flying off into space (or the ocean).

Perhaps this method would have been termed Sledgehammer by Eric Lewis; but it would work.

I have another version of this effect in mind (similar method) that does not require the holdout. (Poor man's version).

As Pete would say, "All manufacturing right are reserved". Copyright 2003 by James P. Riser.

Someone mentioned that you should replace the clip on most marketed versions. I agree. Whit Haydn sells a very excellent clip. It's not cheap ($15), but comes in either silver or gold and is the best option I've seen.